Improvement in wash-boards



J. H. LAPHAM. Wash-Board,

Patented Mar.18',1879.

L Wff/i essais.

NPETERS, FHOTO-LITHUGHAPHER. WASHQNG'TON. D C4 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH H. LAPHAM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT INWASH-BOARDS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 2 13,290.. dated March 18, 1879; application iiled January 10, 1879.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. LAPHAM, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, vhave invented a certain new and Improved Wash-Board; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and complete description of the same.

This invention consists of a device for securing the sides of a wash-board to the back thereof, thereby rendering the said board stronger and more durable than wash-boards constructed in the ordinary way.

A more full description ot' the invention is as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings for illustration, the same making a part ot this specification, in which- Figure l is a face view of the wash-board. Fig. 2 is a section on line of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detached section of one of the bars G.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

The wash-board alluded to consists of the sides A, secured to a back or board, whereon is placed the metallic rubbing surface B. Both sides of the board may be provided with a metallic rubbing-surface, it' so desired.

The ordinary way of seeming the sides A to the back is by nailing them thereto. Eventually the nails rust and the sides become loose and break away from the back, rendering the wash-board unfit for use. To avoid this breaking away of the sides from the back the sides are secured thereto by a double clamp, consisting ot' a metal bar, C, each end ot' which is bifurcatcd, forming a pair of jaws, D and E, Fig. 3. Each jaw is armed on the inner side with a spur, a, and from the middle ofthe jaws projects a spur, b.

rlhe application of the above described clamp for the purpose specified will be readily understood on examination of the drawings, in which it will be seen in Fig. 3 that the jaws of the clamp are distended so far as to permit the sides A to pass between them` without touching the spurs a. The sides A when insel-ted in the open jaws are driven upon the spur b, and close to the head of the clamp. The two jaws are then closed down upon the edges of the sides, causing the spurs to penetrate the wood, substantially as shown in Figs. l and 2.

It will be observed that the edges ot the sides are slightly rounded; hence, on bending the jaws down upon them said jaws curve around the edge of the sides, thereby preventing the sides from being pulled out from the jaws and away from the board or back. The spurs also prevent the sides from pulling out of the jaws, whileJ the spur b assists in retaining the bar of the clamp in close and firm contact with the edge of the rubbing-surface of the wash-board.

By making the edge of the sides A more convex, so that the jaws may clasp farther around, the spurs a may be omitted. It is preferred, however, to have the spurs, and als'o the spur b.

The back and also the metal rubbing-surface are grooved into the sides A in the ordinary way, by which, together with the clamp-l ing device above described, the board is made strong and durable, as the sides cannot become detached from the back by ordinary use.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In.washboards, the bar O, provided with bifurcated ends, forming a pair ot jaws for clamping the said sides and securing them to the back board, substantially as herein set forth.

' JOSEPH H. LAPHAM. Witnesses:

J. H. BURRIDGE, W. H. BURRIDGE. 

